Storm's Secret Daughter
by TranscraftFan12
Summary: Tyra Johnson thought she was just a normal teenage car, racing her friends in the woods around their town. Until everything gets turned upside down. Carnapped by an unknown car, she learns her life was basically a lie. She is thrust into a difficult world with a secret war brewing. Will she be able to come out of this alive? Or will her own father be her undoing?
1. Chapter 1

Three friends were having a mock race in the woods surrounding their little town. "Come on, Daniel! I know you can move faster than that!" the only girl yelled. A small 2017 Dodge Charger groaned as he tried to make his engine rev more. "You know I have a speed limiter! I can't go above 90!" he yelled as he finally had to stop. The girl, a 2018 Dodge GT, grinned as she drifted to a stop. Their other friend, a 2016 Ford Fusion, slowed to a stop beside them. "You alright, Daniel?" he asked. "No, I'm not alright! I hate that I have a speed limiter and you two don't! It's not fair!" Daniel yelled, slamming his tire into the dirt. The GT sighed. "Sorry, Danny. I will agree with you that it's unfair. Your parents are so overprotective of you. I'm the one with Jaguar Syndrome. I should have a speed limiter, by rights, but my parents can't afford it," she said. Daniel grumbled. The Fusion looked at the GT. "I didn't know you had Jaguar Syndrome. You need the limiter, or your engine won't be able to handle the high speeds as you grow," he said. "Yeah, the doctor explained this all to us. It's just too expensive. We can't afford it with the current money my parents are making. We're the poorest family in the town," she said. "You'd think with you being a Dodge and all you would have more money," he said. "Well, even with that fact, my folks just can't work very much. That accident nearly put them out of work completely," she said. She looked down at her hood, sighing. When she had been around 3, her parents had been on their way back from their jobs when a huge 16 wheeler semi truck blew four rear tires at the same time and swerved into them. They had gone over the edge of a ravine into a gully. The accident left them barely able to start their engines. They couldn't go very far anymore. They were stuck with getting jobs in town that didn't require a lot of horsepower. The Fusion winced. "Sorry, Tyra. I forgot about that," he said. "It's alright, Bubba. It happened years ago now," Tyra said. She was now 13. "Well, for someone with Jaguar Syndrome, you don't have very many attacks," Daniel said. "I've been fortunate. The doctor thinks I'm growing out of it," she said. "Hey, maybe you are," Bubba said. The GT smiled. "I sure hope I am. I know I can go at least 220, but I don't want to go that fast without reason. My engine could blow," she said. "Wait, _at least_ 220?! You mean you could go faster?!" the Charger exclaimed. "Maybe? I'm too scared to find out," she said. "Well, let's hope you never have to find out," Bubba said. Tyra nodded her hood as thunder rumbled overhead. "We should head back before the rain strikes," she said. The three friends went at a slow speed towards their town.

Tyra said goodbye to Bubba as they entered town. He lived the opposite street of Daniel and her. Daniel was two houses down from her. "Tyra, you going to watch the season opening ceremony for the Piston Cup?" he asked her as they cruised down the main strip of the town. "Yep. Mom and Dad don't get off work until 10, so I got time," she said. "Want to watch it at my place? We have better reception than you," he said. "Sure. Let me just fill my tank. I'm almost out of gas," she said. Her parents worked at the gas station so her family got free gas twice a day. "You were going pretty fast. What was your MPH?" Daniel asked as they pulled in. Tyra thought about it. "I think I was going about 125, maybe a little faster," she said. "125?! That's way too fast for someone our age!" he exclaimed. She laughed. "I'll be fine, Daniel," she said. He groaned as she filled up her tank and they got back on the road towards his house.

His parents were home when they drove in. "Hello, Tyra. How was your race?" his mother asked. "Fun. I beat both the boys," Tyra said. "Please tell me you were going under 70," his father said. "Dad, you can't have a race under 70. That's just highway speed. We were going like 80," Daniel said. "Daniel Swervez, you know you aren't allowed to go over 70 unless on a highway," his father said. Daniel grumbled. "We're going to watch the Piston Cup opening ceremony on the tv," he said and they headed into the living room. He turned on the tv and switched it to RSN. Right now it was showing reruns of old races between Lightning McQueen and Strip 'the King' Weathers. Tyra winced as she saw the '06 race where Chick Hicks used the PIT maneuver on Strip. "Welcome back to the opening ceremony for this season of the Piston Cup. I'm here with my fellow announcer and race enthusiast, Darrel Cartrip," Bob Cutless said. "This is my favorite part of the season! Well, besides the races," Darrel said, bringing his usual funny humor to the announcing. "We have an exciting roster of racers this year. We, of course, have our returning champion Lightning McQueen followed by a surprising amount of rookies this year," Bob said. "With all the new racers this year, this season will be one of the most exciting yet!" Darrel said. The camera cut to the opening ceremony.

A few hours later, Tyra got ready to head home. "That was awesome. I'll see you tomorrow, Daniel," she said. "Later, gator!" Daniel said, waving his tire as she drove down the street. Tyra hummed her favorite song as she turned on her headlights. She put her key in the keyhole of her front door and went inside. Closing the door, she stopped humming as she noticed broken glass on the floor. Raising a brow, she went to find the broom. She had her trunk turned towards the dark guest room behind her as she dug in the closet for the broom and dustpan. She reversed and swept up the glass. Depositing it in the bin, Tyra returned the broom and dustpan to the closet. She then went to turn on the hall light. She frowned as the switch did nothing. "Ugh, breaker blew again," she muttered, heading for the basement. She went through the living room and squinted as headlights hit her eyes. She reversed a bit and suddenly heard someone banging on the door. She opened it and her engine revved loudly before she let out a piercing scream. She was pushed from behind into the car in front of her and her headlights were smashed. The front car reversed and smashed into her siding, knocking her unconscious.

The next day, Daniel drove over to Tyra's house to hang. He knocked on the front door, but wasn't answered. He was confused. He heard crying from inside. He pushed the button to open the door and gasped. Two police cars were talking with her parents. Her mother was crying while her father tried to console her. "It's okay, honey. We'll find her," he said. Daniel immediately knew what happened. She had been carnapped. "Where were you two at 9:44 last night?" one officer asked. "We were finishing up our shifts at the gas station so we could head home," her father said. "Do you have any enemies who could do this?" they asked. "Not that we know of. We're just poor cars. Who would want to steal from us?" he said. The officer sighed. "I'm very sorry Tyra was carnapped. We will do everything in our power to locate her. We'll track her down, I promise you," the other officer said. "Please, just bring my Ty home," her mother begged. "Hold on. I just got a call from the station saying you two aren't her biological parents," the first officer said. "We aren't. She was left on our doorstep when she was only 2 months old. We've raised her ever since," her father said. "Okay. We're going to talk with her biological parents to see why they gave her up," the officer said. Her father nodded and the officers left. Daniel didn't know what to say or think. Tyra's father noticed him. "Oh, Daniel. I didn't see you there," he said. "Um, Sorry. I didn't want to interrupt anything," Daniel said. "It's alright. I guess you know now what happened to Tyra," her father said. "Do you think the officers will find her?" Daniel asked. Her father sighed. He looked like he hadn't slept at all. "I honestly don't know. I just hope she doesn't have any attacks," he said. Daniel looked down at his hood. "Is there anything I can do to help you guys?" he asked. "No, it's okay. We'll be fine. I'll make sure you and Bubba know when we get news," her father said. "Thanks, Mr. Johnson," Daniel said. He left to head towards Bubba's house.

Tyra knew something was wrong the minute she woke up. Her tires were clamped down and she had a horrible hoodache. "Where am I is the question," she muttered, looking around the small room she was in. There was one door that was closed and a table with what she knew were torture tools. There was a bunch of crashing around and the door opened. A badly beaten up race car was roughly shoved inside. Tyra noticed his rear tire was booted to keep him immobile. His eyes widened at seeing her. She blinked in surprise. She felt like she knew the race car, but that was impossible. A third car drove in, grinning evilly. "Well, it seems you two have been reunited," they said. "Why did you take her? She was in a safe place for her own protection," the race car said. The new car laughed. "She's insurance. You will make Lightning McQueen crash, or so help me, your daughter turns into scrap metal," they said. Tyra suddenly recognized the race car. He was Jackson Storm. He was a rookie that year. Tyra was scared. She didn't know what was going on. "Um, why is Storm here and why do you want McQueen to crash so bad?" she asked. "Shut up, kid. McQueen has been a thorn in my door for years! He was always second while I was third!" they yelled, slamming their front tire across her bumper. She cried out at the pain. "Don't hurt her!" Storm yelled. "If you don't want her hurt, then don't anger me," they said. He scowled. "Chick, what is this even about? Why do you want Lightning out of the racing scene so bad?" he asked. Tyra's eyes widened. The green car was none other than Chick Hicks, who almost killed the King in his final race against Lightning McQueen a few years prior. "Because he has won far more Piston Cups than I have. He doesn't deserve them. He's not a good racer. He's just an arrogant cocky racer who needs to be knocked down a few pegs. Crashing is the perfect way to teach him a lesson," he said. "If I do this, you'll leave Tyra alone?" Storm asked. "She won't be harmed," Chick said. Storm looked at Tyra. "For now, I'll just leave you two here to be reacquainted," Chick said, reversing out of the room and locking the door behind him.

Storm sighed. "Ty, I'm sorry you got caught up in this. I don't know how he found you," he said. "Okay, I'm seriously confused. How do you know me?" she asked. "I'm not surprised you don't know. I specifically asked your foster parents not to mention you were adopted until I felt it necessary to reveal it to you," he said. Tyra frowned. "Seriously, who are you to me?" she asked. "I'm... your father," he said. Tyra's jaw dropped. Her engine shut off in surprise. "Y-You're m-my f-father?" she asked. He nodded his hood. "Yes," he said. "What happened to my mother?" she asked. He looked down at his hood, a sad look in his eyes. "She sadly died shortly after you were born. Something went wrong with her engine and it turned fatal. You were only two weeks old at the time. Because of my racing schedule, I couldn't raise you as I wanted to. I knew I had to leave you with a family who could raise you properly. I wanted to keep in touch, but because of threats, I couldn't. I was so scared that if I tried to contact you, those who were after me would come after you and try to kill you," he explained. Tyra was quiet. She looked down at her hood, a few tears slipping down her windshield. "Tyra... I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I would have preferred to find you myself. I don't even know how Chick found you or why he's targeting me to end McQueen's racing career," Storm said. "I-It's okay. I'm just glad I know," she said, looking at him. He scooted as close as he could with the boot on his rear tire and put a tire against hers. "Hey, at least we're sort of together," he said. "Yeah, that's true. But what did Chick do to you? You're all beaten up," she asked. "Oh... He tortured me, but it's nothing," he said. "Torture?! How is that nothing?!" she exclaimed. "Tyra, he wants McQueen dead or out of racing. I have to make him crash or you'll be hurt or worse," he said. "Storm, don't worry about me. You can't do what Chick wants," Tyra said. Storm just looked at her horrified. "But if I don't, you'll be hurt or killed!" he said. Tyra smiled at him. "I'll be fine. You have to warn McQueen about this," she said. Storm looked down at his hood. He had a plan, but didn't know if it would work. He seriously hoped it did and didn't backfire on Tyra. It was seriously risky since it put both of them at risk.

A day passed and Chick came back. "Alright. It's time for you to put my plan in action. I will be watching you on the TV to make sure you don't mess up," he said, glaring at Storm. "If I do this, Tyra will be released, correct?" Storm asked. "No. She's mine for life," Chick said. "What?! Then why even take her?!" Storm exclaimed. Chick laughed. "I see you failed mention who her mother was," he said. Storm growled, glaring daggers at Chick. "Storm, who was my mother?" Tyra asked. Storm gritted his teeth. "Tyra... What I told you was mostly correct. The only thing I failed to mention was that she didn't actually die. I only found out after the fact. Your mother is still alive, but I don't know where she is," he said. "W-Who was she?" she asked, slightly afraid now. Storm looked at her with a sad expression. "She was a racer, like you want to be. She also had Jaguar Syndrome, like you do. Her name was... Saphira," he said. "Saphira Swervez?!" Tyra exclaimed. "Y-Yes," Storm said, looking at the ground. She couldn't believe it! Her best friend was actually her cousin! "Oh, this is rich! You are so unfit to be her father," Chick said, laughing. Storm turned to him. "So what if I am?! I at least care about her well being! You didn't with your son and look where he is!" he yelled. Chick stopped laughing and rammed into Storm, hard. He slammed into the wall. Tyra cried out as she saw a piece fall off Storm. "Leave him alone!" she cried. "Shut up!" Chick yelled. He reversed and slammed into Storm again. "Stop it! Please!" she yelled, tears falling down her hood. She revved her engine as hard as she could and somehow break the clamps on her tires. She slammed into Chick, who hit the wall behind him. The impact knocked him silly and he wasn't moving for a few seconds. Tyra used these precious seconds to free her father's rear tire. She shoved him out the door and they both raced to the door at the end of the giant hallway. Storm lagged behind. Tyra got behind him and pushed him to the door. She could hear Chick racing towards them but she got Storm through the door and slammed the doors shut, the metal locking bar falling in place. Chick slammed into the doors and, while they bent, they held. "I can't imagine how much that just hurt," she said as they raced away. "Probably a lot," Storm said, wincing. They got to a safe distance and slowed down, only to be stopped by police. "Hold it, you two. Do you even realize how fast you were just going?" one officer asked. "Sorry, sir. We were trying to get away from the car who carnapped us," Tyra said. They blinked in surprise. "Wait, you're Jackson Storm. You were reported missing almost two weeks ago," they said, turning to the injured race car. "Please, he needs help. He was tortured and then slammed into multiple times," Tyra said. "Are you two related?" a second officer asked. "Yes, he's my father," Tyra said. She felt relieved she could admit she had a real father! "Do you know the name of the car who took you?" the first officer asked. "Chick Hicks," Storm said. Tyra could tell he was in a lot of pain by his voice. It was a miracle he could even drive. "Are you certain? We have video proof of him being at his studio, recording his TV show," a third officer said. "Yes. It was him. He hired two others to take me from my foster parents," Tyra said. "Wait, you're that missing kid from just outside Detroit," the first officer said. "Yes, I am," she said. "That's odd. How did you end up here in California, of all places?" the second officer asked. She gasped, her eyes widening. "We're in California?!" she exclaimed. "Yep. It's been almost a week since you were reported missing. If you were flown here, that could explain it," the third officer said.

As they were talking, Tyra noticed Storm seemed distant, as if he wasn't all there. "St-Dad?" she asked him. He blinked and looked at her. "Sorry, Tyra. It's getting hard to focus," he said. She was worried. "Are you alright?" she asked. "I'll be fine," he said, nudging her gently. "Oh, we're sorry, Storm. We were too caught up in having found you two that we didn't realize how badly hurt you were. Let's get you to a hospital pronto," the first officer said. He just nodded, his eyes half closed. "Please, Dad! Don't pass on out on me now!" Tyra yelled, putting her tire against his. The second officer's eyes went wide and they called for an ambulance. Tyra just drove behind it, hoping Storm would be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, seems the first chapter was well received! I'm glad. I didn't think I would get one review on the very first chapter! You guys are awesome! So I had someone ask when this takes place. This takes place after Cars 2 with no connection to Cars 3. This is as if Cars 3 never happened, but does have some of the same characters, such as Cruz and Storm. Now on to chapter 2!**

Tyra parked in the the waiting room, worried. Several hours had passed with no word. "Please, Storm, pull through," she muttered. She looked out the window and gasped through her grille as she saw how much media was outside. She figured they were here about Storm, but it angered her that they were just swarming the doors and windows. Security guards were doing their best to keep them away. Tyra looked down at her hood. She didn't realize how bent it was. It didn't really hurt, just stung a bit. She looked towards the hallway for any sign of a doctor heading her way. She sighed and sank down on her suspension.

Tyra had fallen asleep, but was gently nudged awake. She blinked a few times and saw one of the police officers from earlier. "Kid, your father is just starting to wake up. I think you should be the first one he sees when he wakes up," they said. She followed them to his room and went inside. They closed the door quietly. Tyra just took in her father's condition. His hood had been replaced and the various dents had been repaired. He looked normal, aside from the paint. His eyes were still shut, but Tyra saw they were fluttering a bit. She drove a bit closer and nudged him gently with her fender. He didn't respond at first but groaned a bit. "Storm?" she asked. "Tyra?" he asked weakly as he opened his eyes. She smiled at seeing his eyes. "Oh, you're awake! I was so worried!" she cried. "Ty," he muttered and put a tire against her side. Storm hated that he worried her so much. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "Mostly just achy. Most of the pain is actually gone, with a few pinpricks here and there," he said. She smiled. "I'm glad. I was so worried that it was a lot worse than it looked and you looked pretty bad," Tyra said. "Honestly, I felt that way too. It hurt something fierce, but I'm okay now," he said. "Storm, you said you had to give me up because you couldn't raise me with your racing schedule. You didn't become a Piston Cup racer until this season. Were you racing before the Piston Cup?" Tyra said. He sighed and looked towards the door, where police were guarding the entrance. "You have to promise me you won't tell a soul what I'm about to tell you, not even your brother," he said, dropping his voice down. She was confused, but nodded her hood. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Before you were born and before I met your mother, I was just a normal car graduating college. I had found a successful job in my field of study, racing rehabilitation. I had a week off before I was moving to a new city to start my career. About a day later, my father was in trouble. He had fallen in with a shady crowd during my last semester. They were street racers. You see, my father was a Dodge GT, just like you. He was incredibly fast and could drift like no one else. It served him well. He had done tons of street races and won quite a bit of money. The owner of the club really liked him and always invited him to go on these special trips. Dad always knew the risks in doing this, but wanted to make sure my younger siblings could life comfortably. During his last race, he suffered a huge accident on the highway they were racing on. They were going almost as fast as you do on a real race track. He hit the guardrail and wrecked. It destroyed his engine and nearly cost him his life. He thankfully survived, but couldn't race anymore. I was forced to race for him instead. I didn't want to, as I knew how risky it was and how I could be caught by police. I had nearly come close several times. In doing this, I kept having to get different paint jobs so I wasn't recognized. This cost a lot of money and we were soon nearly poor again. The club owner came to me with a final offer: race one more time for him and win, and I wouldn't have to worry about money ever again. I almost refused, but I looked at how my younger siblings would grow up and knew I needed to provide for them since our mother had died and Dad couldn't race. I finally accepted and we met in Tokyo for the race. It was a drifting challenge, something I was good at. It started out alright. I soon gained the lead, but what the club owner and I didn't know was the Tokyo racers loved to cheat. We were supposed to stay in a certain part of the city, but one of the other cars slammed into me and forced me to go off the set path. We wound up on the highway. I kept racing, even though I knew I was going to either die or be chased down by police and arrested. We got to the finish line and I came in first. Police immediately surrounded us, and I just let them arrest me. I was done with racing. The club owner bailed me out, but he went back on his word and demanded I pay him back every cent my father ever won from him. I could be killed or my siblings would be. Or you, since you were born at this time. Saphira didn't want me to be forced to do it, but I had to. She promised that she would keep you all safe while I did what the owner demanded of me. It was a hard life, for a time. Eventually the club owner was caught by police and sentenced to life to prison. I knew I didn't have to repay the so-called debt anymore. We were happy, but not for long. I started doing local races at a race track in the city to help pay bills, but a shifty crew took interest in me. They blackmailed me into working for them, and I was forced into being in a gang. This meant I was now caught up in a gang war. I finally managed to get away, and took a completely different name so I couldn't be found. I hoped that by faking a death statement, they would leave me alone. Boy was I wrong. It did work for a time, just after I had given you up to that family in the town you grew up in. Just recently, after the opening ceremony for the Piston Cup, the old gang leader contacted me, saying he knew where you were and you would killed if I didn't give him all the money I won in my races this season. I had to agree so you wouldn't be in danger. What I didn't expect was that the gang leader was none other than Chick Hicks. That's why he wanted McQueen out of the racing scene as well. It's just an added thing on top of giving him all my winnings," Storm explained.

Tyra was just quiet after her father's explanation. He sighed and looked out the window to the side of them. "I don't blame you if you hate me for this. I know I'm probably the last car you want as a father," he said. Tyra just leaned against him. "It's wrong of Chick to be doing this to you. He shouldn't have forced you to work for him in the first place," she said. "Well, there's one other thing," he said. "What is it?" she asked. "Now that he knows you're my daughter, you're in horrible danger from the other gangs. He can use that info as a way to get me to be caught up in the war going on between them all. Chick wants to rule them all and be the ultimate gang leader. If he succeeds, no criminal will be safe, including me. I'll be killed and you'll just be caught up in the crossfire and carnapped or killed alongside me," he said. "I don't care. I won't be separated from you again," she said. "Tyra..." he trailed off and they just leaned against each other for a long time.

A doctor came in and raised a lid at them, but cleared his throat. "Excuse me, miss, but who are you?" they asked Tyra. "Oh! I'm... his niece," she said. Storm looked at her weirdly but rolled with it. "Okay... Where is his sibling that's your parent?" the doctor asked. "They couldn't make it. I promised to tell them how he is when I got home," Tyra lied. "Okay... Anyways, Storm, you're looking much better than when you were brought in. Wasn't your daughter with you as well?" they said. "She was, but was sent back home," he lied. "Strange. Anyhow, you should be discharged tomorrow morning. I don't want you racing in the race this weekend. You can start to train again Tuesday. Give that engine of yours time to rest. Don't go faster then 80, or you could overheat and blow your engine," the doctor said, looking at his chart. "That's good. I should get going, Uncle Storm. I'll come see you again tomorrow morning so we can get some breakfast after you're discharged," Tyra said. "Alright. You be safe getting home," he said. The doctor left first and they breathed a sigh of relief. "Tyra, you didn't really have to lie to the doctor, but it's fine," Storm said. "Sorry. I just don't want anyone knowing about me yet," she said. "I understand. I think your foster parents are being told you were found and you'll be going home soon," he said. Tyra sniffled a bit. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. "I don't wanna leave you," she said. He rubbed her fender. "Tyra, it's alright. I'll come see you after the race. I'm still expected to be there even if I'm not racing," he said. "Wait, does your sponsor know about Chick?" she asked. Storm nodded. "They understand that I have to do this so nothing bad happens. With how well off they are, they figure they can handle not getting the win money," he said. "That's a relief. Let's just hope the other gangs don't do anything," she said. "We can only hope," he said, sighing. An officer came into the room. "Miss Johnson, your parents are flying in tonight to collect you," they said. She looked sadly at Storm. "Can you make sure they don't know about my real father? I don't want media to swarm my tiny town just because of me," she said. "Yes, of course. We made no mention of him at all, except that you escaped together," they said. "Thanks," she said, smiling a bit. "We will need to leave soon to go meet them," they said. "Alright. Just let me say goodbye," she said. "I'll be waiting outside," they said, leaving the room. Tyra turned back to Storm. "You'll be going home. You'll be safe," he said. Tears dotted her windshield. She leaned against him, tears falling down her crumpled hood. "I don't want to leave you, but I know I have to," she said, trying not to sob. Storm kissed her fender and smiled. "You'll be alright, Tyra Storm. Remember, you come from a long line of fast cars. You'll be able to speed past this and move on," he said. "Thanks, Dad," she said. "We'll meet again, don't you worry," he said. She smiled through her tears and shook herself to clear her eyes. She rubbed her tire against his door and turned to leave. Storm smiled as she left. He knew she would be far safer with her foster family than with him.

Tyra couldn't stop thinking about Storm as the officer drove alongside her to the airport. "Miss Johnson, are you alright? You're awfully quiet," the officer asked her. "Yeah, just thinking about Dad," she said. "Understandable. I hope soon you two won't have to hide each other," they said. "I do as well," she said. They reached the airport without incident and went inside to the arrival terminals. Tyra spotted her parents and sped over to them, burying her grille in her mother's doors. "Oh, Tyra! We were so worried about you!" her foster father said. Tears spilled down his hood, but he didn't seem to notice or care. "Thank you, officer, for escorting our daughter here," her mother said. "Of course. I didn't want anything bad to happen to her again. We currently have a carhunt out for Chick Hicks. Once he is found, then everyone can relax," they said. "Thank you again. I'm sure once he's found, we can rest easier," her mother said. Tyra sniffled a bit, but was glad to be out of there. Her father looked at her. "Tyra, what happened to your hood?" he asked. "Oh. Chick slammed his tire on it," she said. The officer groaned a tiny bit. "I am so sorry, Miss Tyra. We were more concerned about Storm to see you were injured as well," they said. "It's fine. I had honestly forgotten in my worry about him," she said. The officer nodded. "I best be getting back to the station. Be safe," they said, leaving them. "We best be getting to the hotel. We're heading home tomorrow," her mother said. Tyra just nodded. She followed them, but her mind was focused on her real father. She still couldn't believe that Daniel was her half brother. She knew she couldn't tell him, but wanted to talk to her real mother.

They reached the hotel and were about to go inside when Tyra noticed her foster father suddenly freeze. "Dad?" she asked. "Ugh... Sorry. My engine just stalled, again. I'm fine," he said, starting his engine again. It stuttered, but didn't actually start. "Honey, are you sure you're alright?" Tyra's mother asked. "Maybe not. If I can't get my engine to start, I can't get home," he said. He tried to start his engine again, but it failed again and just finally died. He sighed in defeat. "Well, I'm stuck here now," he said. "Dad, I'll just push you inside," Tyra said, going behind him. She pushed him inside and up to their room for the night. "Thanks," her foster father said. She just smiled. They all parked against each other for the night.

The next morning, Tyra woke up first and saw that the sun had risen through the blinds. She didn't open them so she didn't wake her foster parents. Quietly turning on her engine, she went over to the washroom to take a quick shower. She felt much better after. She winced slightly as the warm water got in a crack in her dinged hood. It washed over her already worn fans and made it hurt a bit more. Tyra left the washroom and saw her foster parents were waking. "Morning, Tyra. How did you sleep?" her mother asked. "Alright. No nightmares, surprisingly," Tyra replied. Her foster father opened his eyes and tried to start his engine, only for it to stutter and die again. Tyra noticed his eyes were glazed with pain. "Dad, are you okay?" she asked, knowing full well he wasn't. "Not really. I can't get my engine to start and it hurts bad," he said, grimacing. Her mother put a tire against his doors. "Honey, we best get you to the hospital," she said. "Emma, we can't afford a hospital bill," he said. Emma shook her hood. "I know, but you need help quickly or you could die," she said. Tyra went to his other side. "Please, Dad. Let me call 911 before this gets more serious," she said. He grumbled, but grimaced again as more pain shot through him. "Do it," he said through gritted teeth. Tyra quickly went over to the phone and dialed 911.

Twenty minutes later, Tyra and Emma were parked in the waiting room, anxious. "Mom, will he be okay?" Tyra asked. Emma sighed. "I... don't know, sweetie," she said. Tyra sniffled a bit, but stayed strong. The last thing she expected to happen was for her own engine to start hurting. She suddenly felt very energized and became fidgety. She rolled back and forth a bit, but it didn't help. "Tyra, are you alright? You just suddenly can't seem to stay still," Emma said. "I just feel too energized. I need to move," Tyra said, her voice speaking super fast. Emma groaned quietly. Her husband was probably dying and now her daughter was having an attack. "Tyra, why don't you drive around the block a few times? That should calm you," she said. Tyra grinned and drove outside too fast. She dropped down to the speed limit once she got on the road, but she just felt way too slow. She spotted the abandoned dirt track a few blocks away and went there. It had been turned into a park, but no one went there. She sped up and just started doing laps and donuts in the dirt. Tyra finally settled down and felt really tired. She yawned and went back to the hospital as rain started to fall. She hadn't noticed it getting cloudy. The rain washed the dirt off her and she went inside. "Feel better?" Emma asked. Tyra nodded, yawning but winced halfway through her yawn. "Tyra?" Emma asked, concerned. "My engine is hurting," Tyra said. Everything started to blur for her. Emma was shouting and nudging her, but she sank unconscious, her body going slack on her suspension.

Storm had just gotten discharged from the hospital a day later when he noticed a door to a patient's door hanging open. Curious, he peeked in as he drove past it to the waiting room. He spotted a Dodge Viper parked beside another car who looked rather young. The Viper had a tear fall down their hood. He stopped and went to the side a bit to see the younger car. Something about them seemed familiar to him. The still crumpled hood told him everything. He silently drove in and noticed the Viper was asleep, but crying in their sleep. He went over to Tyra's side and and gently nudged her. A doctor came in just then and did a double take at seeing him there. "Excuse me, Mr. Storm. Do you know this young car?" they asked. He jolted slightly at hearing their voice. "Oh, um, she was carnapped with me and we escaped Chick Hicks together about three days ago," he said. "Ah. Then she must be Tyra Johnson from outside Detroit," the doctor said, looking at the chart. They frowned a bit. "Is something wrong with her?" he asked, a little worried. "Well, from what I can gather, she suffered a Jaguar attack and then her engine started to pain her. She hadn't been checked out from before and I found some severe damage on her engine. Her fan belt had snapped and caused even more damage. It's looking as though her engine will need to be replaced," the doctor said. The Viper woke up just then and heard the last part of the conversation. "W-Wait, are you talking about Tyra?" she asked, a scared look in her eyes. "Yes, ma'am. If we left her as is and only fixed what we could without replacing her engine, she would eventually blow it and could wreck badly," the doctor said. The horrified look in her eyes was enough for Storm. "Oh... If only she could have that operation," the Viper said, a sad tone in her voice. "Is there anything preventing it?" the doctor asked. "We're extremely poor. Ever since an accident put me and my husband out of our great jobs almost 11 years ago, we haven't been able to afford anything Tyra needs. We know she's in need of a speed limiter, but at the time we were told she had Jaguar Syndrome, we didn't have enough money. We still don't. We're about to lose our home since we've been behind on several mortgage payments. We want the best for Tyra, but we can't afford to give it to her," the Viper said. "I'm... sorry to hear about your situation. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to make the payment less," the doctor said sympathetically. Storm growled silently. "Miss, allow me to pay for Tyra's operation. I sort of owe her my life," he said. "Please, Storm, I can't accept that. It's an extremely expensive one," she said. He shook his hood. "Miss, if your daughter really needs it to save her life, I must return the favor. She saved both of us from Chick Hicks and I owe her for that. Please, allow me to do this for her," he said. The Viper smiled and happy tears started falling. "Oh, I can't thank you enough, Mr. Storm!" she said. He smiled. "Knowing she's healthy is enough for me. I'm glad I got to meet her again after all these years," he said on accident. Her eyes widened. Storm realized what he said and mentally punched himself. "Wait, meet her again? You met her before? When?" the Viper asked. "I... I should just say it. I'm Tyra's real father," he said. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. The doctor even froze. "You mean, you're the one who left her on our doorstep?" the Viper asked. "Yes. I was in a bad spot at the time and couldn't raise her. I had to hide her away so no one could find her," he said, looking down at his hood. She chuckled. "I guess I know where Tyra gets her speed from now," she said. "I just wish her mother knew who she was," Storm said. "Her mother? Is it safe for me to know?" the Viper asked. "I think so. Her name is Saphira Swervez," he said. "Tyra's best friend's mother? So... Daniel is her half brother, then," the Viper said. "I would guess so. I knew she had remarried and had a son. Her and I try to communicate every now and then, but sometimes we can't. When we do, she tells me how Tyra has been growing up," Storm said. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Emma," Emma said. "Very nice to meet you, Emma," Storm said. "Excuse me, but if you're going to go through with the operation, then I need to prep Tyra," the doctor said. "Of course. We'll leave you to it," Storm said. "I can't thank you enough for doing this for her, Mr. Storm," Emma said. "Please, just Storm is fine," he said. "Oh, sorry. I've never met anyone famous," she said. "Famous? I mean I know I'm a racer, but I'm no more famous than any other rookie this season," Storm said.

Emma paused outside another door. "Excuse me a minute, Storm. My husband is in this room. It was the reason Tyra and I were here in the first place," she said. "If he is awake, mind if I came in to meet him? I've always wanted to meet with Tyra's foster family," he asked. "Of course," Emma said, pushing the door open. Tyra's foster father was awake and looking out the window. "Honey, how are you holding up?" Emma asked, rubbing a tire along his doors. "Alright. The doctor said that I would need to have my engine replaced, but I know we already can't afford it," he said, looking at her. He noticed the black and blue car behind Emma. "Oh, is there a second car there?" he asked. Storm came around Emma. "Jackson Storm?! I-I'm honored to meet you," her foster father said, flustered. Storm just smiled gently. "It's fine. I bumped into your wife as I was leaving to be discharged today and spotted Tyra in a room," he said. "Tyra? Emma, what happened to our daughter?" her foster father asked, concerned. "She had an attack and her engine was paining her. Apparently, because she hadn't been checked out before, they didn't know how much damage she had. Her fan belt had also snapped and caused more damage. They're getting ready to do an emergency operation to replace her engine. If they don't, she'll likely die," Emma said. "But, honey..." her foster father said, trailing off. "Jimmie, Storm offered to pay for it," Emma said. Jimmie blinked in surprise. "R-Really?" he asked. "Yes. He also revealed something to me," Emma said. Jimmie looked to Storm. "You found Tyra on your doorstep when she was only a few months, correct?" Storm asked. "Y-Yes... How do you know that?" Jimmie asked, a little scared. "Because... I'm the one who left her there," Storm said. Jimmie connected the dots. "You're her real father," he said. "Yes. Due to a bad spot I was in at the time, I couldn't risk keeping her with me. Saphira agreed with me and helped me leave her on your doorstep. She has kept watch over Tyra as she has grown up," Storm said. "Saphira Swervez? Daniel's mother?" Jimmie asked. "She was my wife, but we were forced to break apart," Storm said. "Oh. That explains a lot of her behavior around Tyra. She always seemed to act like a second mother. Now I know why," Jimmie said, smiling. "Just promise me you won't let Tyra know you know about this," Storm said. "We won't. Does... she know?" Emma asked. "Yes. Chick mentioned it and it forced me to tell her," Storm said, closing his eyes. "Well, in either case, I'm glad she knows now. We won't let Saphira know we know either," Jimmie said. "Thank you. I don't want this to become public until my... bad past has been dealt with," Storm said. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what is this bad past?" Emma asked. Storm sighed, rubbing a tire along the floor. "I'll just shorten it. Tyra knows the whole truth. To shorten it, my father had become involved with a secret racing club. He became good, but wrecked during a race. I had to take his place and was caught by the police. The club owner demanded I pay back every cent my father had ever won, who had died at this point. He was arrested shortly after and I started to race in a local circuit. A crew blackmailed me into working for them. They threatened to kill my younger siblings or Tyra, who was about 3 weeks old at this point. I became involved in a gang war against my will and faked my death, hoping they wouldn't recognize me. I changed my name to Jackson Storm and faked a past. The Piston Cup became interested in me and I joined the racing scene. I was found again by my old gang leader, Chick Hicks. I didn't know it was him at the time. He told me I had to give him all my winnings for the season, or he would kill Tyra and my siblings in front of me. I had to accept to keep them alive," Storm explained. "We understand. You were forced into all that. Is your sponsor aware of all this?" Emma asked. "Yes. I had to come clean to them," he said. "Well, we're about to forced out of our home and we'll be moving elsewhere. Tyra will be safe, don't you worry," Jimmie said. "I can help you with that, if you would allow me. It would do me good to know Tyra is safe," Storm said. "Please, we can't ask you to do this for us. You're already paying for Tyra's operation. That's enough for us," Emma said. "I know you're hesitant about this, but I would feel a lot happier if you would allow me to help. I'll find a remote location no one will find so you are all safe. I will do the same for Saphira and Daniel. I'm slightly afraid that the two of them might become a target, since Saphira is connected to me and Chick knows about her," Storm said. "Oh, very well. We'll get different paint jobs as well, so we won't be recognized. We best change our names too," Jimmie said. Emma nodded her hood. "Then it's settled. Once we know Tyra will live, we'll set this all up," Storm said. "Thank you so much, Storm. I can't believe how fortunate it was for us to meet," Emma said. He just smiled. "I'm glad we did. Tyra and Daniel need to kept safe at all costs. I'll contact Saphira about all this so she's in the loop. I'll let her know it's safe to tell Daniel," he said. Emma and Jimmie just smiled. Storm also secretly paid for Jimmie's bill as well, just as one last thank you for raising Tyra.

* * *

 **Well... that was a lot longer than I meant for it to be... Hope ya guys don't mind the super long chapter! See ya guys in the third one!**


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